A sumptuous and original European Tour through the palaces and the works of art belonging to royal and princely figures who have marked the histories of theur dynasties and countries. Published on the occasion of an exhibition of the same name at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, this book allows us to enter 20 European courts for the first time, from palace to palace, and to meet great imperial, royal and princely figures, who have marked the histories of their dynasties and countries. Four centuries of history (XVI-XXth centuries) become animated through a sumptuous and original European Tour which sheds light on its sovereigns and their splendour: from Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland to the Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elizabeth of Austria, including Tsar Alexander II of Russia and also Leopold I, first King of the Belgians… To illustrate this ambitious undertaking, seven hundred exceptional works of art – portraits, sculptures, furniture, porcelain, silver and gold, costumes and jewellery – taken from royal collections and prestigious institutions, enable the reader to discover the lives, roles, and passions of these individuals and couples, as well as their time and accomplishments in the fields of the arts, history and science.